WIP

[ed_the_atom]

well Frenchy and Jason got me experimenting.

I tried tracing some stuff Frenchy, but it is not my scene, however experimenting with tracing led me to this work in progress.

Jason you are quite right ;)

For years I have seen images here of heads...the majority do not contain life within in them.... and I find that a shame. Some are technically perfect but look wooden,

That was the problem I had with this work, so I scrubbed the eyes. The face here is to be of a cartoon nature. I shall be using line to bring out life (hopefully). Line because it is a real bitch at the size I am creating the image,,,,,, the size is as posted here.

Anyway we shall see if it works......


http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200407/user_image-1089649213lvy.jpg

[Frenchy Pilou]

Wait and see next stage :)
Pilou

[ed_the_atom]

Re-defining shapes before the final mess...

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200407/user_image-1089684773lnu.jpg

[wchamlet]

Nice update ed!

I have a question about your process. Is this all 2D, or did you start the form as a 3D object, and are now overpainting it? Either way I think the lips are awesome, very nice and controlled.

I've not done much 2D work with Zbrush, mainly because I can't really figure out how to make the 2.5 stuff work the way I want too. I do like Pencilcase alot, maybe I should do some sketches with it again.

Keep it up, and I can't wait to see more!

[ed_the_atom]

Hi Wchamlet :)

Thanks for the comments.

The process with this pic.....

I started painting with the paint brush...colour resolution way down and add off. Then I got the smudge brush and smudged away. When I basically got tired of smudging I brought in a 3d head and sunk it into the hair area....all on one layer. Then I painted the head...low resolution and then ran the colouriser brush over things with basically the colours the painting contained.....again low resolution 4------12. Because the perspective looked awry I then painted (paintbrush) and smudged my way over the face and hair (default smudge brush). The perspective is still not correct...but as the image is so small and even with magnification on, changes are dramatic at 2 pixels...which makes things difficult. The nose needs work, but because of the afore mentioned size will I feel be a matter of luck to paint correctly.

Really this is all 2d. 2.5d is another technique...one I have not mastered yet.

The pitfalls I find with 2d....it is very hard to make it look clean, and well defined (line helps). Of course it can be done with stronger resolution of colours...however the problem there seems to be to combine the colours (or Blend) cleanly. No doubt some have mastered this problem.....me I'm still learning. In fact this pic is in danger of being a rather 'dry' illustration.

[kokoro]

hi ed :)

i just read your howto and found one thing that might help you refind edges after smudgin to find form andplace colors where you wnat them ... here is how i do (and is unfortunaelty timeconsuming ;)) :
i try first with smudgetool, not default but use dotstypestroke and rgb set only. and soft round alpha and small size. then say i want refind edge of her upperarm. i go there and smudge with very small strokes from BOTH sides of the edge, so from outside arm and inside arm, and when it becomes clearer i smudge once over the found edge in its direction ...
sometimes however the edge is so much lost it not works this way, then i take the paintbrush and pick a color from where the edge should be and draw a faint line in that color where the edge should be ... then i do with smudge as described above...
with enough patience this gives in end very clean image ... sometimes clean makes dead however ... and i work with pen, i dont know if i could do with mouse, since a pen is pressure sensitive, so while i make the stroke i can control the amount of smudge say, and this heps a lot ...
just to share my way, i like your workstyle and have experimented recently with it too

[ed_the_atom]

Thanks Kokoro :) :tu:

You are a ZBrushing genius. That technique of yours is what I have needed for years. Now I can place the artistic nuances I need for my works....
I used to be frustrated by digital art, now ther is no limit... I should have experimented more, rather than get locked into one way.

In this update I have employed the technique in various places, however the jpeg dismisses some of them... png is much better,

I have only used the technique in a loose way on the body, because I want the emphasis on the face, but it certainly cleans up those areas well. I haven't added shading on the body or arms as yet......it will be subtle though.

The perspective is still awry.....I need a naked woman here, for artistic reasons you understand.....

Thanks again.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200407/user_image-1089708028act.jpg

[Frenchy Pilou]

Hi Ed
This can help you with your hard mouse work painting :rolleyes:
If you press "C" you pickering the color!
With the Smudge if you press the CTRL you paint with the Color :cool:
More easy isn't it ? :)
With the mix of this 2 functions you can paint very easily!
And the same with a pen graphic will be the Extasy :D
Pilou
Ps Opening the pikers Sub Menu can be a little +

[Abyssis]

yes, Frenchie, "smudge"-brush wizz combination wizz -ctrl IS EXTASY :tu: :tu:

[kokoro]

yes frenchy extasy is right :) :) that´s painting fun :)

ed, wow, i am so glad my little info helped :) i see you put it quickly in work, wonderful, keep going, and go buy a pen ;) i have only the small wacom graphire, this is only pressure sensitve and not angle sensitive, but it is cheap compared with the good tablets from wacom (i paid about 90 euro) and you will see painting on computer is heaven, and you dont have to clean up your workspace after the extasy ;)

(and i always paint the naked first to get anatomy right, and only then cover with clothes ;) )

[ed_the_atom]

Thanks again FP, I had forgotten all about the short cut keys.

I had time for a small update. Still a lot of work to be done.... I am producing it from outta me head so a little bit of trial and error with shapes and perspective.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200407/user_image-1089791947fuy.jpg


There I will leave it and finish at my own leisure..... I'm sure you get the idea.
I figure why waste bandwidth and time here, as I have far better things to do.

Thanks to those kind people that pointed me in the right direction. :) :tu:

[Ron Harris]

I have been watching this with interest....and she is turning out lovely. I hope you get the time to finish her. I tried a female a while back in a 2d type enviroment with z but I cant find the link where I posted Eve at and Lord knows where I put the cds with her image(s). Thanks for sharing this progression with us. Always a pleasure to view you in action with an image.
Ron